Second Chance
by make.tracks.cowboy11
Summary: Set after RND, how Danny and Lindsay deal with the Rikki situation..just an idea i had, i suck at summeries. rated m for language and possible fun stuff later : r&r !
1. Chapter 1

"Lindsay please, wait up!"

Danny Messer was chasing his now extremely drunk girlfriend down the streets of New York City.

"I don't wanna fucking talk to you asshole!" As drunk as she was, she wasn't the type to slur her speech when the alcohol got to her. Her words were crisp and precise, each one stinging him worse than the chill, New York air in December.

"Lindsay, please," he begged, still trying to catch up with the fast paced movements of her petite body. "Just let me explain, it's not what you think, honest!"

She abruptly halted in front of him, turning on her heel and causing him to crash into her finger that was now pointed directly at his chest.

"You listen to _me_ buddy. I know what I saw back there, I know what I see every fucking day with you two, and I don't need to hear any more excuses out of that lying little mouth." Each one of her words cut like a knife; the look in her eye slicing through him like a hot blade through butter. But behind all the detestation and loathing, he could see hurt, a deep pain swimming behind the chocolate brown of her eyes. Knowing he caused that only tore him up more.

"Lindsay Monroe, will you look at me for a second?" he whispered sweetly, trying to be as gently as he possibly could.

She crossed her arms in response, deliberately staring towards the ground away from him. He softly placed two fingers under her chin, trying to direct her gaze upward. She slapped his hand away, creating a harsh stinging sensation on his skin. He tried to mask the pain, not wanting to seem vulnerable considering the state he was currently in.

"Don't touch me." Her words were colder than the air around him, and he found himself having to wrap his jacket tighter around his body the more she spoke.

"Don't touch me, don't talk to me, don't even look at Daniel Messer. I want absolutely nothing to do with you."

"Don't, don't say that." It took all of his strength to fight back the tears as her words tore his whole in half, breaking him from the inside out. Surely she didn't mean what she was saying. She couldn't, could she? Sure, he had messed up, he know that all too well, but she couldn't just give up on them. She couldn't.

"Why not? If you want to be with that bitch so much, what the hell do you need me for?" Hard as she tried to mask the pain behind her anger, she couldn't. She was genuinely broken over his actions; she was completely and wholeheartedly in love with the man standing in front of her, she couldn't lose him. He caught on to the shattered look that was no doubt plastered on her tired out face. He had to fix this.

He created this mess, and now, it was up to him to repair what he had done.

"Lindsay, you're the only girl I've ever wanted. Rikki was just a mistake. I was a damned fool to ever get with her. I should have turned to you, you understand me more than anyone. But I didn't Linds, and now, I don't know what to do. I need your help Montana, where do I go from here?"

Her eyes, that were previously scowered at the ground in anger, were now wandering the cracked sidewalk in defeat, in sadness, in pain. The solemn look in her eyes was enough to make any man take her up in his arms, but knowing how much Danny cared about her, he wished he could just that much more. He brought his arms up on either side of her, tenderly placing his hands on her shoulders as she both winced away and leaned into his embrace. She knew what she wanted—to fall into his arms and never have to be anywhere else in the world—but she couldn't just give into him. He had messed up, and that lingering problem was still hanging over their heads like the storm clouds that were beginning to form above them.

"Danny, I…I can't do this."

She began to shy away from him, but he could only tighten his grip as he prevented her from walking away.

"Lindsay, we have to talk about this, please? Just let me explain myself. I can't lose you Lindsay. I can't. I don't know how I could live without you."

The tears began to fall from her sad eyes just as the raindrops began to fall onto their heads. She wrapped her coat around herself a little tighter and let her eyes wander, not wanting to meet his gaze that was undoubtedly seeking her out.

"Okay, you don't have to listen now, but let me at least get you back to your place and out of this rain. I don't want you gettin' sick."

"I can take care of myself," she uttered, barely above a whisper. Even with these words, she knew she would surrender to his will.

"Lindsay, I hate to say it, but you can barely stand on your own two feet," he replied with a quiet laugh. She tried not to let the defeat in her face show, but he had won. He always would.

"Fine," she mumbled, falling into his arms as he draped one arm around her shoulders, the other across the small of her back, leading her to the edge of the street as he hailed a cab for the two of them. She surrendered to him in the cab, laying her head against his chest, letting the fatigue from both the alcohol and the exhaustion of the night set in. As much as she wanted to hate him, she knew deep down inside she couldn't. But this wasn't just going to go away. They were definatley going to have to work things out, no matter what the consequences, no matter how long it took

For now, Lindsay needed to let the alcohol drain from her system. She surrendered to the slumber that was overtaking her and fell asleep in his arms.

He gently rubbed his arm up and down her own, then moved it to brush the soaking strands of hair out of her face. He smiled at her sleeping figure. Even when she looked this exhausted, she still looked so cute when she slept. She was beautiful. She was his girl. And he had messed that up. But he would fix that. He was bound and determined to make this right again, even if it meant spending the rest of his life trying to make it up to her.

They pulled up to her apartment, and not wanting to wake her, he paid the cabbie and gently lifted her from the backseat, carrying her to the elevator and into the apartment. He helped her semiconciously change into one of his old tshirts and a pair of her own cotton shorts that she had in her top drawer, and then pulled the sheets down and tucked her into bed. Placing a tiny kiss on her forehead, he decided he didn't want to leave her there alone for the night, so he found a spare blanket and crashed on her couch, barely getting a so much as a wink of sleep until the sun was beginning to rise, hoping she wasn't the type that was mean when they had a hangover.


	2. Chapter 2

She awoke the next morning with a sharp shooting pain in her head.

Oh the joys of the morning after hangover.

She blinked away the sleep in her eyes, trying to fight with the sunlight that was creeping its way through her shades. Noticing for the first time that she was dressed in pajamas and laying in her bed, she began to wonder: how had she gotten here in the first place? The alcohol had taken an obvious toll on her memory, pictures flashing fuzzily past her eyes. Some things she could remember clearly, like seeing Danny and that bitch Rikki trying to converse confidentially at the bar, and her throwing back tequila shot after tequila shot like there was no tomorrow. But other things just wouldn't come to her mind. Like the still present question of how she had gotten back to her apartment in one piece, let alone how she hadn't been vandalized in some way on the trip home.

The aroma of coffee that filled her lungs gave her the answer.

Danny.

He was the only person she knew that seemed to have more cream and sugar in his cup than actual coffee. Sensing the familiar scent of vanilla and coffee beans, she began to piece together what had happened the previous night.

-----------

_It had been a long day at work. Lindsay had gone through much more than the average weeks case load in just one day, leaving her completely exhausted at the close of her shift. The bags under her eyes, however, were not solely from her work fatigue. She hadn't gotten more than a wink of sleep since she had uncovered the secret Danny had been keeping. Sure, it had been merely a one night stand with another grieving soul, but it was so much more to Lindsay. She loved Danny, wholly and completely. It took a lot for her to trust someone, and for him to go and break their bond had torn her in more ways than ever imaginable. She didn't tell him that she knew, that would only put more of a strain on their "relationship" than there already was. She had told him she was in love with him, and he had tried to crawl back, only making her more upset. Where were they supposed to go from there? _

_When Stella had offered her a girls night out, claiming it would "get her mind off of him", she had never expected Flack to be having the same thoughts for Danny. When she entered the bar, she saw his pained face and darted for the opposite side of the bar, dragging Stella behind her. If anything was supposed to take her mind off of him, his presence obviously wasn't going to be the thing to do it. Instead, she ordered herself a martini and tried to relax, tried to think of other things. But her mind kept returning to Danny. She longed to run across the bar, slap him across the face and the jump into his arms, but she knew she couldn't do it. She didn't have the strength, the willpower, the patience. They were within eyesight of each other the entire night, the only downside to being in a small bar. Every so often, she would catch him staring at her, eyes wide and full of guilt, sorrow, pain. She would simply shrug at him and stare back down into her glass, wishing it would swallow her up and save her from the nightmare to come. _

_As the night grew on, she found herself mustering up enough courage to approach him. Whether it was the amount of alcohol she had consumed or simply her generosity, she figured she would give him the benefit of the doubt and at least acknowledge his presence. But as she got up to approach his table, there she was, clear as day._

_Rikki._

_Standing over Danny's table, looking whore-ish as ever, her hand running up and down his back, the pair clearly engrossed in some sort of conversation. Whether it be playful or serious, either way, Lindsay had just gone from completely calm to completely heated. Not taking the time to think things through, she went to the bar, downed a shot of tequila and headed over to their table, determined as ever to remove this bitch from existence._

"_So, you like stealing other girl's men, do you?"_

_Barely after the words had left her mouth, her fist collided with the other girl's face, a scream erupting from her lungs causing all heads to turn and the expression on Danny's face to go from mouth dropping, to smile, to complete shock all over again. Lindsay returned to her table and in one swift motion, grabber her purse, downed another shot, and exited the bar, Danny chasing after her._

-----------

After that, they had fought in the middle of the street, exchanged harsh words, and from what she gathered, he had obviously been the one to take her back to her apartment. But what was he still doing here?

She sighed as she managed to roll herself out of her bed and into her slippers that were laying on the floor. She crept down the hallway wishing she could just curl up into a ball and forget about everything that had happened; maybe if she wished hard enough, it would all just go away. No sooner was she thinking these thoughts than she saw Danny, clad in only boxers, standing in her kitchen making himself another pot of coffee. As he watched the liquid brew, he pinched the brim of his nose, taking a deep breath and sighing, clearly immersed in deep thought. It made Lindsay chuckle, causing him to be broken from his trance to stare up at her.

She was beautiful, even if she was standing in the middle of the kitchen in an oversized Yankees t-shirt, short shorts, and fuzzy pink slippers, her hair mangled in random directions and her makeup smeared. She was his, there was no other way to put it. He loved her no matter what she looked like. The deep want to take her up in his arms and kiss her into next week wouldn't subside as he tried to give her a cheerful smile.

"Hey Montana, how'd ya sleep?"

"Fine I guess," she replied crossing her arms, trying to keep her guard up. "I see you crashed here last night."

He stared at the couch, the jumbled mess of pillows and blankets from his sleepless fits strewn about.

"Uh yeah, yeah I didn't wanna leave you here alone in case you woke up in the middle of the night sick or somethin'. You don't mind, do you?"

"No, no it's fine." His sincerity was genuine, she could see it in his deep blue eyes. She couldn't stay mad at him forever.

But she was entitled to milk this out for the time being, wasn't she?

"Okay, that's cool," he said, a smile creeping its way onto his face. "You want some coffee?" he asked her, pointing to the cup in his hand.

"Is it going to be the Messer specialty, or will I actually be able to taste more than just the sugar?" she replied, quickly regretting the joke after he laughed in response.

"I guess I could make you a normal cup. You're in for a nasty headache, it's the least I could do." He poured her a cup of coffee just the way she liked it, two sugars and a manageable amount of cream, then went to the cabinet where she kept the medicine, shifting around her kitchen like he had lived there for years. He had spent countless nights in the apartment with her, it was like they were roommates. Up until recently, he had grown accustomed to living with Lindsay, hoping to one day make it a permanent situation. He brought her the cup of steaming coffee as well as two ibuprofen and took a seat opposite her at the small kitchen table, watching her, observing her every move and facial expression, trying to read into her thoughts and figure out what she was thinking. It would at least give him a clue as to where he should begin.

"So…coffee okay?" he started out, wanting to break the silence that had begun to hurt his ears.

"Yeah, it's fine thanks," she replied quietly, moving her eyes to stare down at the brown liquid in her touristy "I Love NY" cup that Danny had bought her as a joke when she had first moved in.

"That's good, that's good," he began to ramble. He didn't exactly know how to start their conversation, but he knew he had to right all of his wrongs before he lost her for good, a thought that was quickly thrown to the back of his thoughts as she startled him, beginning to speak.

"So…what time does your shift start? I don't want you to be late." She was clearly trying to push him away, something he wouldn't have.

"I actually took off today," he replied, using his oh-so-convenient schedule to his advantage. He wasn't getting out of here without explaining himself, she had to know the truth.

"Oh. Well that's nice. You'll have some time to spend with your new girlfriend." The stare she gave him was enough to make him wish he was under a guillotine rather than under her gaze. She left him at the kitchen table alone as she got up, heading somewhere behind him.

"Lindsay, will you please let me explain?" he begged, following her to the sink where she began to rinse out her cup, watching the brown liquid spiral down the drain, mixing in with the sudsy water.

"There's nothing to explain Danny. You needed someone to grieve with, and clearly your girlfriend, the one you're supposed to trust with everything, wasn't the person. I understand that completely. So what are you still doing here?"

"This." he grabbed either side of her face with his monstrous hands, kissing her passionately with his all, trying to suck all of the bad memories out of her. She grabbed onto his arms, kissing him more fiercely than he had started out, obviously wanting to forget as much as he did.

They continued kissing, growing more and more unaware of the rest of the world around them as shirts were tossed, pants discarded, and they eventually ended up on the couch. This was were he needed to be, not with that slut, not with Rikki, with his Lindsay. Her arms were the only place he needed to be. As memories of Rikki flooded out of his system, images of her deceased son flashed before his eyes, tears beginning to stream out of his system as he pulled away from her lingering kiss and began to sob.

"Danny? Messer, what's wrong, what is it?"

"I need you Linds. I need you."

He wrapped his arms around her waist and, burying his face in her chest, began to sob uncontrollably. She pulled him in tighter, running her hand through his hair, then down to his face to wipe the tears away. He was going to need some time before he calmed down, so she managed to sit up into a more comfortable position, pulling him into her lap as he continued crying.

The sound of his cell phone buzzing on the coffee table in front of them pulled her from her thoughts of the man she loved grieving in her lap. He was obviously completely oblivious to the noise, and she figured it was probably Mac needing an extra hand. Her face went from hopeful to utterly pissed off as she read the name on display.

_Call From Rikki_.

The cold voice was speaking on the other end before Lindsay could even throw in her two cents.

"Hey babe, you're coming over later right? You promised, you can't just leave me hanging. I need you."

That was it.

She threw the phone across the room, Danny jumping as it crashed into the wall, breaking into dozens of pieces as she stood up off the couch and headed for the door, throwing it open and gesturing out towards the hallway.

"Get the HELL out of here Daniel Messer, and don't you EVER show you worthless piece of shit face here again!"


	3. Chapter 3

**hey all :)**

**well, vacation was great, but im definately excited to be back to writing again.**

**here's the next chapter, as promised. i finished it at like 1 o'clock yesterday morning haha, but it is nonetheless done !**

**enjoy (:**

**--mtc.**

**Chapter 3**

It had been multiple hours since she had kicked him out the door, the night settling in on her apartment, darkness creeping onto the walls, creating an eerie shadow throughout the place. What had seemed like forever ago was all too vivid in her memory. It was just like a scene out of a movie; he stood outside her window starting three stories up, begging her for forgiveness, as she tossed every last thing of his left in her apartment over the balcony. His clothes sputtered to the ground like leaves from trees in an autumn breeze. Dozens of shirts, pants, and boxers littered the sidewalk below her, along with some of his CDs, his comb, and his toothbrush. Through tears, he begged her to stop, telling her that he didn't care if she set all of his things on fire, that she was all he needed in his life, and that he would never be able to forgive himself for what he had done. But she wouldn't hear any of it. What she saw on the streets below her wasn't the man that she knew, the man she had come to love. It was the face of a different person, a monster that had torn her life apart. The face she saw as she stared past the railing wasn't the face she was used to waking up to every morning. She saw him in a whole different light; the differences she saw in him were like night and day.

The pain she was feeling inside her cut so deeply, the pain was almost unbearable. As she sat huddled on the couch surrounded by used tissues that were scattered around her, she tried to muster up any bought of strength that was left in her to get up and do more than sulk. But deep in her heart, she couldn't. Without Danny there by her side, she wasn't sure she could go on with her life. He was her anchor, her soul, her everything. Without him, what was she to do? She had been Miss Independent until he had walked into her life. From the moment she had met him, she knew he was different. She had trusted him with her all, told him secrets she had never confessed to any other person before. She had spent so many times with him just lying on the couch, her head across his chest, his arms around her waist, nowhere else in the world they would rather be. He was always there when she needed a shoulder to cry on or someone to lean on.

He was her best friend.

And right now, she didn't know what to think of him.

She wanted so much for him to walk through the door again so she could curl up in his arms and just forget the world.

But those arms had been all over another woman. How could she ever feel safe in them again?

The entire situation made her want to curl up in a ball under the covers of her oversized bed and dream of a life where there was no Rikki in existence, but she knew lying in that bed would only bring back memories of all the nights she and Danny had spent lying there together. It wasn't just the passion filled nights they had shared together, it was also all those nights they had just spent cuddling, telling each other their life goals and dreams, talking about anything and everything. So much of her life had been shared with him in that bed, it was like their own safe haven. On nights when a case would upset him or his family issues would be brought up, he would often knock on her door and march right to her bedroom, propping her fluffy pillows up against the headboard and pulling her head into his stomach, just spending the whole night talking. They would stay up until the early hours of the morning, usually falling asleep in each others arms and waking up in the late hours of the afternoon, lazily laying in bed until the disturbance of their work brought them back to the real world.

On days where she would need her own therapy sessions, she didn't even need to pick up her phone. It was like he could sense that something was wrong, and he would automatically arrive at her apartment, almost on cue, taking her up in his arms as soon as she opened the arms. He wouldn't ask questions, he would just let her cry or talk or lie in his arms until she fell asleep, whatever she needed to do to make her feel better. She felt safe when he was around, as if nothing could break her down. He was like her own personal superman.

But what was she supposed to do when superman fell under the spell of the evil villainess?

She honestly didn't know what to do. She had tried so hard to just forget about the entire situation from the beginning, to accept the fact that he needed his space and that this would all blow over. But she knew that she was only lying to herself. He had hurt her, truly and deeply, and that pain was going to linger in her heart for a long while. No matter how hard it was or how much it was going to hurt, she knew she would have to endure it. It was the only way to rid herself of any hurt he had caused her. She would have to remember every little detail of everything that had happened, over analyze the situation to a T, and try to figure out a way to move on.

Thinking of those words and picturing his face caused the knot in her stomach to tighten worse than it had been previously. In all the time she had spent with him, she could never imagine having to move on from him. He was everything she had ever wanted, and now, he had gone and killed anything and everything they had ever built together. She loved him, she knew that wholeheartedly, but how could she go on loving him when he had done what he had done?

She laughed at her own question. Of course she would always love him; there was no doubt in her mind that her love for him would never subside. But in their current condition, she wasn't sure how they were going to get past it. He could explain himself away all he wanted, but it wasn't going to change what he did. They were both well aware of that, and it killed them both. She wanted to sit down and talk with him, but at the same time, she knew she would break down as soon as he walked back in the door. She couldn't handle him, not right now anyway. Maybe after a little time alone she could muster up enough confidence to have a somewhat civilized conversation with him. For now, it was back to the ice cream and sappy movies, which weren't exactly doing their part. She knew the love stories were supposed to make her happier, but they only made her picture the life she wanted with Danny more and more. The girl always got her man in the end of every movie she watched, and she knew that that wasn't how it was in real life.

"Stupid happy endings," she cried as she shut off another DVD, not bothering to get up and remove it from the player. She didn't know what to do with herself. Mac had graciously given her as much time off as she needed, making sure to schedule her and Danny around each other so she wouldn't have to suffer the embarrassment of breaking down in front of the entire staff at the crime lab. She had already watched the majority of her DVD collection and gone through two cartons of ice cream. She was like the typical high school teenaged girl after a break up with her boyfriend that had only lasted a week; as she took in the setting around her, she realized how pathetic this all looked and chuckled softly as she imagined Danny walking in, plopping down on the couch and telling her that "whoever was bothering her was just jealous of how amazing she was" and that "she shouldn't let anyone bring her down".

Despite his kind advice, she couldn't seem to apply it to their current situation. He had definitely already brought her down, farther than any one person had before. What would he have to say now? As she pondered what he would be telling her, she imagined them laying on the couch, senselessly watching a random television program as he ran his fingers lightly up and down her arm, not too rough to make her uncomfortable, but not too soft to make it seem like he didn't want to be there. It was just right, making her feel safe and warm wrapped up in his arms. She closed her eyes, imagining that he was there. If she thought hard enough, she could feel his arms around her, his soft hair brushing across her face as he bent down to look deep into her eyes, trying to read her expressions. She began to silently cry again as the moon fell silent upon the room, taking her over as she drifted off to sleep, the blanket that he had used the night before wrapped around her, his scent still lingering, taking her dreams on a different path.

-----------

He didn't k now what to do with himself.

On most nights, he would be cuddled up on the couch with Lindsay, watching a movie or tv or a baseball game, usually getting into a popcorn fight that would always end up with them snuggling closer than they had been, ultimately ending with them falling asleep in each others arms. But now, now that he had gone and messed everything up, he was alone in his big empty apartment, the presence of Rikki still lingering, making him uncomfortable. He couldn't even bring himself to sleep in his own bed, the painful memories of that disgusting night were too much for him to handle. It would have been so much easier to burn his bedding, but he couldn't bring himself to do much of anything. For the past hours, he had paced around his apartment trying to think of ways to explain himself without hurting her even more. The fact of the matter was that the truth was that he had made a horrible mistake. He had chose to turn to another woman in his time of need rather than the one girl who could make him feel whole again, help him grieve in a more progressive way than temporarily losing his memories to meaningless sex, only to have them recollect a few hours later. He had really messed everything up; he now had Rikki following him around like a lost puppy, the thoughts of that poor little boy swimming in his head, and worst of all, Lindsay wasn't speaking to him. He needed her the most right now, but it was because of his mistakes that she wasn't having anything to do with him.

And he was constantly beating himself over the head for that. He needed her, only her, and the fact that she wouldn't even acknowledge his presence was absolutely killing him inside. Calling her would be a bad idea, going to see her would probably worse, but he had no better ideas. He had to get out of this apartment. Every time he turned a corner, he could see Rikki walking around in one of his shirts. It made him shudder and become sick to his stomach. Why had he done it? Had he had a temporary lapse in judgment? Was his brain possessed by demons? What had possessed him to ever want to sleep with that woman, that piece of trash that took advantage of him?

He figured he would go to Flack's, his door was always open. He grabbed his coat and his keys and headed for the door, almost slamming it again when he opened it to a surprise he didn't want to receive.

Rikki was standing in his doorway, dressed in a very slinky cocktail dress, way too much for anyone to be parading around a New York apartment hallway in.

"Didn't you get my message? I can't stand being without you Danny."

He closed the door in her face and made sure every lock, chain, and bolt was done up.

This was going to be a long night.


	4. Chapter 4

**umm wow, so i haven't updated this in like, 6 months now?**

**AHHHH!**

**i'm a bad person D:**

**but luckily i found the start of this chapter hiding in my documents as i was procrastinating on my homework (teehee!) and decided that this was much more important ;)**

**but what i end up doing will suprise...well...all of you :P**

**enjoy! (:**

**--mtc.**

Chapter 4

He slammed the door in her face.

His 15 year old, boyish instincts had taken over his body to a point where he didn't know what to do anymore. As soon as the thud of the closing frame filled his ears, he realized that what he was doing was immature. But in all honesty, he didn't want to deal with her. Not now, not ever. He had messed up, and that was ever so clear to him, but he was too much of a coward to confront his problems head on. The fact that he was slowly losing Lindsay was too much for him to handle, and this unfortunate feat was clouding his thoughts and tearing him up inside. He wished it would all just go away, but the persistent knocking on the opposite side of his apartment door reminded him of everything that was currently going wrong in his life.

"Danny, would you open up the goddamn door? You can't leave me standing out here forever."

He pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers, and reluctantly opened the door.

"What do you want, Rikki?" he spat as the woman smiled up at him.

"You." Her hand reached up for his face, and her lips came crashing down on his, the bitter taste causing him to gag. He quickly thrust a hand between them, shoving her away, the shocked expression on her face causing him to laugh.

"What the hell was that for?" she spat as he crossed his arms and smirked. "I thought you wanted this, Danny."

"No Rikki. I don't, I don't want _any _of this. What happened between us the other night? That was just sex Rikki, just sex. We were grieving, and neither of us was thinking straight. Obviously I wasn't, because I sure as hell would never hurt Lindsay like I did."

"Lindsay," she scowled. "That bitch doesn't deserve you—"

"Don't you EVER talk about Lindsay like that!" his voice boomed throughout the building, surely waking some of his neighbors. "You have absolutely no right to speak of her like that, you hear me?

"And why the hell not? All that brat gives you is a cuddle buddy. You need something more your level." As the venom poured from her lips, she ran her arm up and down his arm, her fingers leaving a burning trail over his flesh. But not the fiery sensation that was left whenever he and Lindsay touched, this was different; Rikki's touch left him feeling the need to run after a fire extinguisher, as if his skin were singed.

He flinched away from her touch in pain and distanced himself from her as her face contorted into an evil-like glare. She was truly scarier than anything he had ever seen in a horror film. And he knew that the only way to get rid of her was to end this whole ordeal once and for all.

He had to rid her from his life.

Taking a bold step forward, he began to speak maturely, hoping that she would remember that she was an adult and actually take into consideration the words he was saying instead of resorting back to her teenaged ways, acting as the possessive bitch that each high school had.

"Rikki, I'm sorry that your son died, you have no idea how much that has hurt me. And I know it's killing you too. But I can't go on like this. We were grieving, right? Well maybe we should find a better outlet for that. You need you family Rikki, not me. I'm not someone you wanna get involved with. Go be with the people that can support you, because I can't. I'm telling you right now, I can't give you anything more than that one terrible night of sex. They can give you the love and the support that you need right now. This whoring yourself out thing? That's not you, and you know it's not you. Go home, get some rest, and buy yourself a plane ticket outta here. That's what you need right now, not meaningless sex."

He expected her to retort and try to get at him again, so when she began walking towards him, his initial reaction was to flinch away. But when she collapsed into his chest sobbing, he knew that he shouldn't turn her away. She was finally letting out her emotions in a positive way and turning her away would be immature. As much as it pained him, he let her cry against his chest for a few minutes. She picked her head up from his now soaked t-shirt and looked up at him.

"What am I supposed to do Danny? I lost my little boy, I ruined things between you and your girlfriend…I'm a terrible person, aren't I?"

He wanted to say yes, yes a thousand times over, but he knew that she wasn't a truly horrible person; after all, he had helped ruin things between Lindsay and himself. Thinking those thoughts again only brought more pain to the situation.

"You're not a terrible person Rikki, you're grieving. You just need to do it in a more productive way."  
"But how do I do that? How do I just get over the fact that my little boy is gone and never coming back?"

"You can't," he replied simply. "You can't just forget about him, he's your son and he always will be. You have to let yourself accept the fact that he's gone and try to live your life without him in it. The best way to do that is to go home."

"I can't be there Danny…I can still hear him laughing down the hall…"

"You have to face that." Remembering the little boy's laughter was painful to Danny and his own tears were beginning to fall down his unshaved cheek. "Go home, sit in his room, let yourself cry. You have to do this Rikki, it's the only way to move on."

She gave him a hug, but this time he didn't flinch away. He returned the small gesture quickly to make it less painful for himself and pointed down the hall.

"You have to do this." He repeated himself before almost forcing her down the hallway. She offered a nod in appreciation and thanks and walked across the hall to her apartment.

Danny could hear her sobs break out through his closed door.

They only seemed to encourage his own as he realized that he needed his own confidant, just as Rikki had needed him.

He needed Lindsay.

But he couldn't go to her for fear that he would be turned away, which he knew was only his fault.

He took his own advice and realized that he needed to face everything, finally deciding to lie in his own bed although he could still feel the bugs crawling all over him; he knew he had to do it. He brought a beer into his bedroom with him to help nurse his sorrows as he drank himself into a deep, restless sleep, his dreams filled with the little boy's death followed by horrible images of Rikki's face contorting to look like the devil. He awoke in a hot sweat to a loud rapping on his door and jumped up at the shock as he realized that it was after three AM. Figuring it would be Rikki he prepared himself to be used as a human tissue, but what he saw when he opened the door surprised him.

It was Lindsay, still wearing the pajamas from the day before; she looked like she hadn't gotten out of bed.

She knew.

She knew that he needed someone to cry to; he needed someone to talk to and to make everything better, and as much as it caused her pain, no amount of her suffering through relationship problems could add up to the pain and suffering brought on by the death of this little boy.

He needed her more than she needed to be away from him.

Without saying a word, she stepped inside and let him wrap his arms around her waist, sobbing fiercely into her shoulder as she walked them over to the couch. She ran her hand up and down his back soothingly and let him cry for hours until he finally cried himself to sleep like a small child. As his head rest on her shoulder she couldn't help but reveal a tiny smile. He always looked so vulnerable when he slept, but the fact of that matter was that he actually _was _vulnerable at this very moment. All of his walls had come crashing down when that little boy died, and now that he had someone to let out all of his feelings to, he was like a little kid again. She couldn't leave him, not now, not like this.

She shifted him carefully so that they could both sleep in a somewhat comfortable position and closed her eyes as the sun began to rise over the city. It would be a restless and almost pointless attempt at sleep, but he needed her to be strong and she couldn't let him down, no matter how much pain he had caused her. She could be as mad as she wanted later, but for now she needed to be there for him. Closing her eyes, his familiar scent wafted through her system and began to play with her dreams; images of better days playing in her mind as they lay together on the couch.

As she dreamed, a silent tear fell down her cheek and hit his arm, causing him to unconsciously begin to cry again himself.

Without realizing it, they hugged closer together as they slept.

They had to face it: They needed each other.


End file.
